Digital Divide Between Urban and Rural Regions in China

Abstract

This research paper evaluates the development relationship between the adoption rate of Information and Communications Technologies (the Internet, mobile phone, pager, personal computer, and telephone) and per capita income gap between the urban and rural areas in China, mainly between 1985 and 2006. The Pearson's correlation coefficients suggest there has been a strong correlation in the development relationship between this income gap and the adoption of the Internet, mobile phone, personal computer, and telephone during this period. This paper also examines the adoption of these ICTs between the urban and rural regions, and probes into two pressing issues that affect the digital divide -affordability of these technologies to the rural population, and the educational level of rural users that impact upon usage capability.

Determinants of China's Technology Availability and Utilization 2006–2009: A Spatial Analysis

“…For instance, in 2006, the average per-capita expenditure for mobile telecommunications as a proportion of disposable income was 29 percent in rural areas and 9 percent in urban areas (Fong 2009). The fact that two-thirds of the Internet connections were to homes rather than workplaces and public venues such as Internet cafés is noteworthy, as it reflects the importance of individual investments for the spread of technology (Zhu and Wang 2005).…”

“…In a study of five nations, three of them Asian, higher education and income were the most important factors for information technology usage (Ono and Zavodny 2007), while in China, literacy in technology was confirmed as a major determinant of technology availability and utilization (Fong 2009). China's college-educated segment in the early 2000s had about eight times the Internet use of the population as a whole (Zhu and Wang 2005).…”

“…Cost of technology has been identified as a barrier to technology adoption in several studies of China, especially for rural areas (Fong 2009;Qiu 2010). For instance, in 2006, the average per-capita expenditure for mobile telecommunications as a proportion of disposable income was 29 percent in rural areas and 9 percent in urban areas (Fong 2009).…”

“…Disparities in technology development across provinces (Loo 2003;Song 2008;Fong 2009), stem from the historically stronger economy in the eastern coastal region compared to central and western regions (Davison, Vogel, and Harris 2005;Ma and Summers 2009). A key turning point occurred in 1980, when the Chinese central government established the first Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the southeast.…”

Digital divide and body size disparities among Chinese adults

“…China has made considerable advances in socioeconomic development in recent decades, while facing the issues and challenges of rapid ICT development. For example, age, education, and geographical location seem to magnify inequality in access to ICT, a phenomenon known as the digital divide (Fong 2009;Harwit 2004;Wang 2001, 2005). In addition, the rapid expansion and use of ICT has shifted Chinese lives to a more sedentary routine, and screen-viewing activities using ICT are increasingly recognized as an important factor in the development of obesity (Eisenmann, Bartee, and Wang 2002;Foster, Gore, and West 2006;Grøntved and Hu 2011;Jakes et al 2003;Robinson and Killen 1995;Thorp et al 2011;Vandelanotte et al 2009;Vioque, Torres, and Quiles 2000).…”